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Fortress Europe I: Context

There are certain topics that deserve a proper study into the phenomenon they have become. “Fortress Europe” deserves this as the internal and external issues keep adding up. Blogging has its limitations so this topic is divided in a series of short reads before I massively exceed the 1200 plus words in an essay. In this series I address and describe the context, internal issues, external issues and trade.

The reason I write about this topic is because I am angry, concerned and “silence is literally deadly in this matter.” As a citizen of the EU and the Netherlands I am lucky to be born in the Western world. Call it what you want, place of birth is an influential factor in how your life can turn out. It is easily taken for granted in a society of surpluses. In a society of shortages you count your blessings every day.

“Silence is literally deadly” means exactly what the words convey. In the wealth of Europe people can escape poverty, famine, war and social unrest among others. While the surplus of goods and services offer escapes to everyday unpleasantness the standards and facilities of living in Europe offer a much better life to people from Africa and Asia.

In economics there are two factors. Namely the push and pull factors that influence “economic” decisions.

Push factors: drive or push away people due to more costs than benefits and gains.

Pull factors: attract or pull people due to more benefits and gains than costs.

Sure my definitions are simplified but in this context this is enough information before jargon distracts. People live, want to survive and continue thus choose for the (economic or other) enterprise that has more benefits and gains than costs that enable survival and continuity. In simpler terms water, food, warmth, shelter, company, income, employment/enterprise and the list goes on like Maslow’s pyramid.

I cannot live and ignore the people who risk their lives to find a better place to live. Right now Fortress Europe, whether you consider it the EU or continent Europe human rights and lives are at stake. Human rights versus European and state interests in immigration affairs are affecting the European borders.